Keto And Fruit Tea: Can You Drink The Carbs?

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that can be challenging to maintain, as it requires a complete shift in eating and drinking habits. While water is the best option to stay hydrated, keto-friendly drinks include tea, coffee, bone broth, nut milk, and kombucha. Pure loose-leaf tea is keto-compliant, but blends with added sugar or fruit should be avoided. Store-bought iced tea often contains high amounts of sugar, and while black tea is keto-friendly, green tea may be an even better choice due to its antioxidants.

Pure loose leaf tea is keto-friendly

Loose leaf tea contains almost zero carbs per cup and will provide extra benefits to boost your diet. For example, green tea may help by providing necessary antioxidants to prevent muscle loss and excess oxidative stress caused by the keto diet. A cup of green tea, pure, unsweetened, and unadulterated, will have around 2 calories, with a negligible amount of carbs.

However, if you're used to drinking your tea with sugar and milk, you'll have to change your habits. Regular milk teas, including chai, bubble tea, and teh tarik, should be avoided. Commercial iced teas, flavoured teas with added sugar, and regular English breakfast tea with milk and sugar are also not keto-friendly.

Instead, opt for herbal teas such as chamomile, peppermint, and ginger root, which have medicinal value and are a creative and flavorful way of staying hydrated. Black tea, like Earl Grey, masala chai, and English breakfast tea, and green tea, such as sencha, matcha, and gunpowder, are also widely available and packed with antioxidants.

When it comes to sweeteners, it's best to opt for keto-friendly options such as stevia, erythritol, swerve, or allulose.

Avoid fruit-based teas on keto

When it comes to keto drinks, water is the best option, but tea is also a great choice. However, not all teas are created equal, and some should be avoided on a keto diet. Fruit-based teas are one type that keto dieters should steer clear of.

Fruit-based teas often contain actual pieces of dried or candied fruit, which can be high in carbohydrates. The fruit may be sweetened, adding even more carbs and sugar to your drink. Even if the tea doesn't contain real fruit pieces, fruit-flavoured teas are often packed with added sugars and artificial sweeteners, which can quickly kick you out of ketosis.

To stay within your keto diet guidelines, it's best to avoid any teas with fruit or fruit flavouring. Instead, opt for plain black or green tea, which have negligible amounts of carbs and calories. If you're craving something with a bit more flavour, try adding a squeeze of lemon or lime juice to your tea, or experiment with herbs like lavender or chamomile for a more intricate taste. You can also sweeten your tea with a keto-friendly sweetener like stevia or erythritol.

When in doubt, check the nutrition label on your tea to make sure it aligns with your keto diet goals. Remember, the key to staying in ketosis is avoiding carbs and sugars, so always be mindful of hidden sugars in your drinks.

Avoid adding keto-unfriendly sweeteners to iced tea

If you're on a keto diet, you can still enjoy tea, but it's important to be mindful of what you add to it. While tea itself is keto-friendly, adding certain sweeteners can kick you out of ketosis.

• Avoid Sugar and Honey: Sugar and honey are high in carbs and can interrupt ketosis. Opt for keto-friendly sweeteners like stevia, erythritol, monk fruit, or xylitol instead. These sweeteners have little to no carbohydrates and can help you maintain ketosis.
• Read Labels Carefully: When buying ready-to-drink iced tea, always read the labels. Many commercial iced teas contain added sugars and calories. Look for unsweetened or keto-friendly options.
• Make Your Own Iced Tea: Brew your tea at home using tea bags or loose-leaf tea. This way, you can control the ingredients and avoid unwanted additives.
• Use Keto-Friendly Sweeteners: If you like your tea sweet, opt for sweeteners that are known to be keto-friendly. Stevia, erythritol, monk fruit, and xylitol are popular choices. These sweeteners have little to no carbohydrates and can help you maintain ketosis.
• Try Iced Tea Varieties: Explore different types of iced tea, such as green tea or herbal tea. Green tea provides antioxidants and can aid in weight loss. Herbal teas, such as chamomile or peppermint, offer medicinal benefits and are naturally low in carbs.
• Avoid Pre-made Tea Drinks: Stay away from pre-made tea drinks from coffee shops or instant blends. These often contain added sugars or other high-carb ingredients that are not keto-friendly.

Remember, when in doubt, always check the nutrition labels and ingredient lists to ensure that your iced tea and sweeteners align with your keto diet goals.

Unsweet tea is fine on keto

If you're on a keto diet, you may be wondering what drinks are suitable. The good news is that unsweetened tea is perfectly fine on a keto diet. In fact, tea is one of the main beverages that people switch to when starting or maintaining a keto diet.

Tea is a natural option that contains a negligible number of carbs, typically less than 1 gram per cup (240 ml). Tea is also essentially calorie-free and full of polyphenol antioxidants. For example, green tea is rich in epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a powerful antioxidant that may provide anticancer benefits.

However, it's important to be mindful of what you add to your tea. Suitable additions include heavy whipping cream, unsweetened plant-based creamers, zero-calorie sweeteners, and sugar-free flavouring syrups. It's best to avoid high-carb additions like regular milk, sweetened creamers, sugar, honey, and standard flavouring syrups.

When it comes to keto-friendly teas, black tea and green tea are great options. Herbal teas such as chamomile, peppermint, and ginger root are also keto-friendly and offer great medicinal value.

So, if you're looking for a drink to enjoy on a keto diet, unsweetened tea is a perfect choice.

Black tea is keto-friendly

Black tea is a good option for those on the keto diet as it can be consumed hot or iced, and it provides an energy boost without the carbs. It also contains polyphenol antioxidants and has anti-aging and metabolic benefits. Studies have shown that black tea can help prevent cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

When drinking black tea on the keto diet, it is important to avoid adding high-carb ingredients such as regular milk, sweetened creamers, sugar, and honey. Instead, opt for keto-friendly additions such as heavy whipping cream, unsweetened plant-based creamers, zero-calorie sweeteners, and sugar-free flavouring syrups.

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